Kostas Papastavrou pulled off a convincing performance Wednesday night at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa winning Event 4 of the property’s Winter Poker Open. Papastavrou claimed the top spot in the $150 Deep Stack defeating a tough field of 508 entries. For his efforts, he went home with $13,071, a $1,650 seat in the $300,000 guaranteed Championship and a guitar trophy.

With 30-minute levels on Day 1 and 40-minute levels on Day 2, the event moved fast to start but offered plenty of play late. The final table was reached around 6:45pm but play didn’t conclude until nearly 10:45pm. There was some talk of a chop nine-handed, but Papastavrou insisited on playing it out. The one roadblock to an early night went on to take a massive chip lead when he played pot worth nearly 4,000,000 against the start-of-day leader Devaraj Munisekar. With six players left, Munisekar raised and Papastavrou made it 445,000 to go. Munisekar shoved and Papastavrou called off 1,944,000. It turned out to be a race — a race that Papastavrou’s ace-king won.

The hand catapulted Papastavrou into the lead and he bullied his way to a heads-up berth against Kevin Pahl. The pair debated briefly before deciding on a chop that saw Papastavrou take the top spot while Pahl went home with an even $10,000.

With a modest pricepoint and a super-sized field, one might be surprised to see the talent that made Day 2 of Event 4. Five-time WSOP Circuit ring winner John Holley, 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown $350 winner Vitor Coelho, 2016 WPTDeepStacks-Tampe Main Event champion Anthony Astarita and Seminole Hard Rock Tampa ambassador Wally Maddah were among those who returned to compete for the top prize. While they each cashed, it was Papastavrou’s trophy for the taking.

Papastavrou is a 54-year-old professional poker player. He immigrated to the United States from Greece about 38 years ago and has spent much of his time Stateside in Florida. He’s been playing for a living for 21 years and has recorded two major victories prior to this.

Kostas Papastavrou and Kevin Pahl agreed to a heads up deal that saw Pahl pocket an even $10,000. Papastavrou, meanwhile, earned $13,071 along with the guitar trophy and a $1,650 seat in the $300,000 guaranteed Championship.

Kevin Pahl

A full report on the event will be posted later tonight. In the meantime, here’s a look at the tournament’s final results:

In a raised pot, Kevin Pahl was in position versus Mark “Bud” Wiser. The flop was and Pahl shoved. Wiser took a minute or two, but called off his last 650,000. Wiser held and was paired versus the of Pahl’s flush draw, overcards and backdoor straight draws.

The turn fell the completing Pahl’s flush. Wiser called for another ace in hopes to improve to a fullhouse, but it never came. The river sealed the deal and Wiser was eliminated in third place earning $5,338.

Pahl went into heads up play against Kostas Papastavrou with a massive chip deficit.

Brandon Sinawi and Kevin Goldstein were just eliminated in a span of only a couple hands by chip leader Kostas Papastavrou. Papastavrou’s lead grew while Sinawi was eliminated fourth for $4,241 and Goldstein fifth for $3,321.

Devaraj Munisekar raised to 100,000 from late position and Kostas Papastavrou made it 445,000 behind him. It was back on Munisekar and he moved all-in. Papastavrou called and with that the two biggest stacks at the table were all in preflop. It was unclear who had who covered.

Munisekar: Papastavrou:

Runout:

Papastavrou spiked his king on the turn to win the hand. His stack was counted down to 1,944,000. Munisekar sent the pot Papastavrou’s way and was left with just 160,000. Papastavrou, meanwhile, took a massive chip lead.

Tony March was playing on borrowed time after his jacks ran into aces on an ace-high board. The turn and river completed the wheel for an unlikely chop and March lived to fight another day.

He met his fate recently, though, when he limped and Devaraj Munisekar raised to 150,000 from late position. It folded back to March who called.

March checked the flop and Munisekar bet 175,000. March called.

The turn was the and March ended up getting his last roughly 500,000 in the pot. Munisekar had for an overpair and was pleased to see March’s bluff. The river fell the and March was eliminated in eighth place earning $1,690.

Brandon Sinawi got it started by jamming about 360,000. It folded to Will Dominguez on the button and he shoved forward his final 202,000 chips. The blinds folded and Sinawi was in good shape claiming to Dominguez’s

An flop spelled the end for Dominguez. Didn’t improve on the turn or river and was sent to the rail ninth earning $1,186.

There was a flurry of eliminations to start two-table play including that of June’s WPTDeepStacks-Tampa Main Event Champion Anthony Astarita and Seminole Hard Rock Tampa ambassador Wally Maddah.

Astarita open-shoved for about 120,000 and Maddah re-shoved for about 150,000. Angelo Valdez called and had both players at risk.

Maddah: Valdez: Astarita:

Valez had both players covered and spiked a king to bust two of the most accomplished individuals left. While they were getting paid out, another player hit the rail narrowing the field to just 15 remaining.

Daniel Ramirez has been on a tear over the last 40 minutes and now leads the field comfortably in the Winter Poker Open $150. He most recently eliminated Erik Zika in 19th place collapsing the tournament to the final two tables.

Here’s a glance at the scene followed by updated results places 19th-27th:

Cards are in the air following the second break of the day with 22 players remaining. Out in front of the action as the tournament continues to play down toward a winner is Costas Papastavrou. Papastavrou sits on 865,000 chips good for 72 big blinds. All players have locked up a score of $326.

Mike Henin shoved all in for his last 191,000 and Daniel Ramirez asked for a count from the big blind. The dealer broke down the stack to 191,000 and Ramirez casually plopped a blue 25,000 chip into the pot.

Ramirez: Henin:

Runout:

Ramirez’s sixes held and Henin was eliminated in 23rd place earning $326. The pair exchanged some words as Henin angrily hit the rail. The pot put Ramirez’s stack at 775,000 just as players headed on their second break of the day.

The stacks have been shallowing and the field has been narrowing. Just 27 players remain — putting the event down to the final three tables — with the tournament’s $14,768 top prize right around the corner.

Devaraj Munisekar started Day 2 with a massive chip lead. He made his way into the money easily, but has only seen his stack shrink during the first three hours of play.

Recently, he was in a three-way pot staring down a 10-high flop. Daniel Ramirez bet and the player on his direct left jammed for slightly more. It was on Munisekar who pulled his cards up off the table and stared them down before folding. Ramirez called and showed ace-eight while the all-in player flipped over king-jack. Neither player had a made hand.

The board completed with two blanks and Ramirez’s ace-high was best. Munisekar stood in disgust as he revealed he folded king-10 — top pair.

Despite missing out on the pot, he’s still one of the big stacks with 385,000.

Even at the $150 pricepoint, Event 4 of the Winter Poker Open drew quite a collection of notables. As the event gets deeper and deeper into the money, many familiar faces are still drawing live for a Tampa title.

Here’s a look at some of the recognizable faces still in followed by another round of results:

Seminole Hard Rock Tampa ambassador Wally Maddah is in the midst of a streak of tournament runs that’s second to none in the state. In addition to numerous daily event final tables, Maddah finished 18th in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open’s record-breaking $360 and final tabled the series’ massive $570 a few days later. He returned home to Tampa only to chop the $350 Winter Poker Open evert nine ways after maneuvering through more than 700 entries.

He’s making moves again in today’s $150 restart. After starting the day with 47,000 chips sitting 63rd of 68 in the counts, Maddah has chipped up to 128,000 and is in great position to continue his impressive streak with the tournament now in the money.

With an average stack of over 30 big blinds, there’s quite a bit of play in the money in Event 4. The eliminations have been slow to start, but a handful of players have met their maker since the bubble burst about 30 minutes ago.

The $150 Big Stack cruised right past bubble play and into the money when Raymond Delcueto jammed 121,000 into the pot with 55 players remaining. Delcueto held and was in a bad place versus the of Hank Zheng.

Runout:

Delcueto didn’t spike a set and his elimination sent the final 54 players into the money. Zheng meanwhile, took a nice stack into late stages of play.

The clock strikes 12-noon at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa and Day 2 of Event 4 of the Winter Poker Open is underway. The $150 tournament drew 508 players besting its $50,000 guarantee before the prize pool settled at $59,310. All 68 remaining participants have accomplished something by making it this far, but only the top 54 are set to go how with a score.

Leading the restart with a massive stack of 426,700 is Devaraj Munisekar. Munisekar put a hurt on Flight B bagging a monster and he starts today more than 125,000 chips ahead of second place Daniel Ramirez.